Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust. O my soul, you have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You.” As for the saints who are on the earth, “They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.” – Psalm 16:1-3 NKJV.  

O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance. – Psalm 16:5-6 NKJV.  

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. – James 1:17 NKJV.  

Have you ever won an actual lottery? I’ve never won an actual lottery. Maybe that’s because I’ve never bought a lottery ticket. Did you know that you don’t have to buy a lottery ticket to win a lottery? I once read about a man who won a million dollar lottery who didn’t buy a lottery ticket. How did he win it? He found a lottery ticket that was the winner. Had to be a God Thing don’t you think?  

Marvin Rosales-Martinez in October 2012 was raking leaves on Long Island when he happened to see a lottery ticket in the pile of leaves. Marvin took the ticket home, dried it out, and turned it in. It was a One Million Dollar Win for Life Lottery ticket. Marvin had to wait a year for his money; while lottery officials investigated to make sure the ticket was legitimate, and that no one else would try to claim it. After taxes, Marvin finally received $515,612. (New York Daily News 12.28.13) So, if God actually wants you to win a lottery He can make that happen, even if you don’t buy a lottery ticket.  

This coming week what holiday are we celebrating? You could say you are celebrating Thanksgiving or you could say you are celebrating “I Won the Lottery Day.” You could say that if you are a born-again believer in Jesus Christ. Because, if you know Jesus as your Savior, it is like winning the greatest lottery of all. As David says in Psalm 16:3, "As for the saints (All believers, as believers have been made holy by the blood of Jesus Christ and clothed in His righteousness – Revelation 19:7-8) who are on the earth, (God says) They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”  

The spiritual reality is that if you have Jesus as your Savior, you already have everything. Every good thing in your life is a gift from your God. Every pleasant place is a gift from him. Every hope that we have for the future is a gift from Him. Because of this believers should have thankful hearts. Having a thankful heart gives meaning to our lives. A thankful heart opens our eyes to the gifts God has given us, and opens the door to His continued blessings in our lives.  

Unlike the winnings from a lottery, the blessings of God never end, never run out, and continue for eternity. Because God says about His children, “They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.” We cannot exhaust the goodness and blessings of God. Why? Philippians 4:19 tells us, “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” What does this make you as a believer in Jesus? It means that you are a WINNER!! Let us praise the Name of Jesus this Thanksgiving and every day of our lives forevermore!!